Oscar Piastri & Lando Norris Know Winner Is One Who Stays Cool

Were it not already an intense heatwave in Singapore, the increasing intensity of this season's Formula One world championship would be sufficient to make all but the most stoic driver wilt. Withstanding the stress may prove the difference between McLaren's Lando Norris and Piastri as the title battle intensifies with every race.

The Title Fight Remains Finely Poised

Starting with this round's race in Singapore, seven grands prix remain and the title race is extremely tight. The Australian leads his teammate by 25 points. Each are allowed to compete against one another and with the Red Bull driver still a significant sixty-nine points behind, it is a head-to-head contest, with very little separating the two McLaren drivers.

Drawing from Past Winners

Formula One's most seasoned and successful competitors know this scenario all too well. In 2007, when Hamilton just failed to win securing the title in the last grand prix at Interlagos in his debut season, it showed him the unique challenge of a championship fight.

“I recall the buildup to those events at the end and the stress was there,” he said. “That was not needed. If I knew then what I know now, I would have easily won that championship, I think. I have learned not to add pressure that’s unnecessary.”

Step Into the Pressure Cooker

Welcome then, Norris and Piastri, to the intense environment. The advantage thus far has shifted between them. Norris has five wins to Oscar's seven wins and the duo have scarcely missed the podium in a McLaren car that has been the best on the grid. Piastri has been steadier, with his teammate struggling to adapt to a reduced sensation for grip from the front tires. Nonetheless, they have excelled, the difference separating them often just who could perform flawlessly, across Saturday sessions and the race.

Expensive Errors for Lando

In this regard Norris has been lacking, small errors were costly in China, especially after a poor qualifying in Sakhir and worse still when losing the points advantage after crashing out in the qualifying session in Jeddah. Then, most critically, over-eager in Canada he hit his partner and went out, an massive setback.

Oscar's Steadiness and Small Errors

The young driver, notably in only his third season in Formula One, has been more comfortable. For a while spinning out at the first race in the rain in Melbourne was his only fault and one which was excusable in the sudden rain. Later, the Melbourne native was also overtaken and passed by an opportunistic Max at Emilia-Romagna, while his mistake and sanction for “unpredictable slowing” under the yellow flag at the British Grand Prix denied him a likely win.

Latest Struggles in Azerbaijan

Yet, these were small issues against something of a debacle at the previous race in Azerbaijan. In Baku, Piastri hit the wall in the qualifying session leaving him in ninth position, only to compound it with a false start, the car going into anti-stall mode and dropping him to the rear of the pack.

Chasing positions on the first lap, he misread the grip and ended in the wall, an uncharacteristic sequence of mistakes that he acknowledged he could ill afford in this weekend's race.

“Baku was a strong lesson of how quickly everything can change,” he said. “There's some lessons about how I can handle that more effectively and lessons on risk I suppose is the most accurate description to put it. No major changes that needs to be altered or that I am going to change.”

Learning from Past Examples

Both drivers are, for all their talent, still honing their skills in F1, a path often traveled by other drivers on the grid. The early stages of Lewis's career were outstanding, but he also made his fair share of mistakes. Piastri could take note of Sakhir in 2008, the year the seven-time champion took his first title but which was marked by other mistakes as he was engaged in an close battle with his Ferrari rival.

On the starting grid in Manama he had not managed to correctly set the start procedure on his McLaren and it entered anti-stall, relegating him to the back. Soon after, chasing positions, he touched the rear of Fernando Alonso's Renault and had to make a stop with a damaged front wing. He finished 13th after a race he described as “a disaster”.

Verstappen's Early Development

In the same way Verstappen's early career were defined by misjudgments as he learned his craft. After a expensive incident in Monte Carlo in 2018 then boss the Red Bull chief openly called for his driver to show greater control.

Verstappen, too, accepted the advice, the waywardness all but gone when he began winning championships. “This was a learning experience,” he remarked at the moment. “Throughout my life there have been times of character-building and this was another step. Sometimes, it is unpleasant but sometimes you need it.”

Final Observations

Norris and Piastri are not yet at the level of Hamilton and Verstappen so far but they are facing the identical stress and learning the same lessons. As the legendary driver observed, the initial championship is always the hardest. Securing this one out is the biggest challenge of their careers and will likely fall to the driver who can most effectively manage the pressure.